In 2018 MEET TAIWAN—organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade and implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council—welcomed the Southeast Asia region, ushering in new business for Taiwan conference- and incentive travel-related companies.

Taiwan has been actively encouraging enterprises to organise incentive travel activities this year under the New Southbound Policy, offering a number of preferential measures including: souvenirs, financial subsidies, and administrative assistance for many events—from site inspections to day-of event implementation. Adding to the mix, MEET TAIWAN also launched its Enterprise Conference Overseas Seed Project to both establish partnerships with local travel agencies and encourage more enterprises choose Taiwan as their next destination.

The MEET TAIWAN roadshow in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Road warriors of High Five Taiwan

Taiwan has long held close ties with individual Southeast Asian MICE sectors, this year’s MEET TAIWAN roadshow made five stops in Southeast Asia—Manila, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur in June, as well as Indonesia and Vietnam in September, attracting an audience of local tourism, media, and convention operators. The roadshow series showcased Taiwan's award-winning travel itineraries, customisation options, and diverse attractions, all flying under the theme of ‘High Five Taiwan’.

Integration of Taiwan MICE services at IT&CMA

To make more connections with industry buyers, MEET TAIWAN participated in IT&CMA, the leading MICE trade show. Partnering with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Taipei City Government, and Kaohsiung City Government, local and centralised MICE resources were integrated at the Taiwan Pavilion, which resulted in a strong presence at this year’s IT&CMA expo. Taiwan’s MICE professionals were able to meet with MICE buyers interested in Taiwan incentive travel, corporate incentives, alternative tours, and educational itineraries.

Teaming up in Taiwan

MEET TAIWAN first launched its Asia Super Team competition in 2014, which was recognised by SITE with its 2015 Best Incentive Travel Marketing Award and by the Stevie Awards as B-to-B Marketing Campaign of the Year, both being distinguished business marketing awards.

This year was the fifth in the event series and saw corporate teams from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea as participants in Taiwan for the “Dare for Future”-themed event. After four days of competition in Taiwan, in which corporate teams from eight countries took on the roles of “elite interns”, AnyMind Group from Indonesia triumphed to take home the grand prize of an incentive travel package to Taiwan valued at US$50,000.

Easy access to Taiwan

Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs launched a visa waiver program for over 60 nations including the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. People holding a passport valid for over six months can now visit Taiwan without a visa. Spurred on by these measures, the number of Southeast Asian visitors to Taiwan has shown a significant increase. Approximately 2.1 million passengers from Southeast Asia visited Taiwan in 2017. Among them, Malaysia ranked first with 528,000 visitors and Singapore ranked second with 420,000 visitors. Meanwhile, visitors from the Philippines in 2017 grew to 290,000 compared to 170,000 visitors in 2016, according to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.